


The Yin and the Yang

by AlexisDevanne



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Helpful!Danny, Redeemable!Ethan, Stiles-centric, focuses on how to tell the twins apart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-06
Updated: 2013-08-06
Packaged: 2017-12-22 15:11:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/914709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexisDevanne/pseuds/AlexisDevanne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>Problem</em>: Stiles has a hard time telling Aiden and Ethan apart. Danny however has no problem telling them apart. <em>Solution?</em></p><p>or</p><p>The one where ensuring that Dethan gets a happily ever after is an instrumental part of Stiles’ revamped 5-year plan to get Lydia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Yin and the Yang

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write a quick simple fic about telling the twins apart and it somehow morphed into 5,000 words of… _this_. I don’t know what this even is really. However it’s now abundantly clear that I have no self-control over what I type in my keyboard. It’s not even funny. Read at your own risk.

“The problem is that they have almost the same scent,” said Scott staring down at the twins’ leather covered backs from their table way across the cafeteria.

Stiles just waived his hands in exasperation, “That isn’t at all what it is about Scott!” and when Scott gave him a kicked puppy look Stiles had to inhale to calm himself down. “Look Scott,” he said sounding a lot less riled up, “I know you’re trying your best but come on, there’s gotta be another way to tell them apart other than the all so delicate disparities between their scents. You know, something that doesn’t involve wolfy faculties?”

“I don’t know what else to tell you,” Scott lamented, looking down at his tray as if it would provide him an answer. Almost immediately he turn to face Stiles again with a hopeful smile. “Maybe that’s something you could investigate and tell us all about later?”

Stiles simply groaned as an answer. Why did nothing ever come simple for him?

\--__

Okay, so Stiles had being studying the physical characteristics of the twins from a distance for a while now and so far he has come up with nothing, nada, zilch! He could only ever tell them apart because of the people they chased after. Aiden was always parading himself in front of women like he’s God gift to them and Ethan, well, Ethan didn’t. But that’s only because he’s interested in another kind of pool.

Yet that wasn’t really going to help much outside of their school setting. Much less when they weren’t surrounded by anyone. What Stiles needed was a way to pinpoint which twin was which by a single glance. Though the only way that was happening was if he studied the twins upon closer inspection, but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

If only he could talk to someone who was close enough to them. Someone who never got them mixed up. Someone with an eye for detail that’s on par or better than him. That’s when the idea hit him.

Of course! Why didn’t he think of this before?

\--__

“Tell me again, _why_ is it so important for you to be able to tell them apart?” asked Lydia as she strutted the school hall heading outside with Stiles following a step behind her.

“Because why wouldn’t it be?!” Stiles responded exasperated. He even stopped walking to make the point bigger than it really was but as Lydia didn’t slow down her strut even the tiniest bit he had to rush to fall instep with her again. “Look I just do okay? Can’t that be enough?” he said.

Lydia just rolled her eyes like she wanted this conversation to be over but allowed Stiles to hold her bag as they headed toward her car.

“Aiden is straight. Ethan isn’t,” she provided as if that explained it all.

“I’m pretty sure the sexual orientation isn’t a physical trait that can be measured or scrutinized. Come on Lydia there must be something more than you can give me.”

Lydia lightly shrugged as if her answer should’ve sufficed. “Well Aiden is taller.”

“But the height difference is barely noticeable!” Stiles explained with a barely hid groan. “Plus it only helps when they are standing right next to each other. What do I do if they aren’t together huh Lydia? Or what if they are sitting down? What about that? What am I suppose to do with that Lydia?”

“I don’t know, offer them a treat if they stand up?” she snapped before turning around and facing Stiles. “Honestly Stiles what do you want me to tell you?” she asked sounding as closely as she’ll ever sound to defeated.

Stiles shrugged with both shoulders, hands still holding Lydia’s bag. “I don’t know, how about you start with how you can tell them apart?”

At this Lydia smiled with a characteristic sparkle in her eye as she took her bag away from Stiles. “Easy, Aiden is the one who wants me and people who want me are easy to single out. At least for me it is.”

Stiles could only stare at her, which had Lydia putting her shades on in an effort to conceal her eye roll. “You know Stiles,” she said as she got on her car. “I don’t get why you’re asking me when I’m not the one actively pursuing them.”

“What-Who do you mean?”

Here Lydia did scoffed. “Danny, who else?” she explained before reaching for her door. “Now if you excuse me Prada has a pedicure appointment,” and she wiggled her fingers in a farewell manner as she closed her door and started the car. Stiles could only raised his hand in what was supposed to be a wave as she sped away.

\--__

“Huh…”

If Lydia could tell when people wanted her, then that meant Stiles must have been on her radar for _years_ because God knows everyone knows he wanted her! Coincidentally that meant that she chose to ignore him for the equitable amount of time.

Stiles thought he knew what his feelings were about such case scenario but now that any doubts about it had been put to rest, well… nope. It did suck equally as much as he imagined it would suck.

But enough about Lydia, he could dissect that later in the privacy of his room. Right now he had to stay focused on the mission at hand. And so he reclined his shoulder in the locker next to Danny’s locker and gave Danny a wide grin.

“Hey Danny-boy!” he said in greeting.

Danny gave Stiles an evaluating glance before closing his locker door. “No Stiles, you can’t ask me a question”

At this Stiles could only sputtered a couple of baffled sounds that made Danny shake his head and start walking away. But of course, as his luck would have it, Stiles followed.

“Not cool!” Stiles exclaimed finally finding his voice and generally invading Danny’s space as he walked instep with him and rambled. “How did you even know I was going to ask you a question? And even if I was it’s not okay to shut me out like that. What gives Danny, I thought we were starting to become friends. You know we have a lot of classes together, we exchange phone numbers, and I style my hair now. You know, definitely friends, or friendly. There’s definitely a friendly line being walked somewhere. I think there’s a term for it too that’s-”

And here Danny stopped moving because there was only so much Danny could withstand before sighing and inevitably giving in. “Alright Stiles,” Danny said cutting the other teen off mid-speech. “What do you want?”

Stiles almost stumbled on his own feet at the abrupt stop but righted himself in time. He dusted himself before opening his mouth and closing it without saying anything. The action only earning him a raised eyebrow from Danny that was a little on the judging side. Figuring that there was no way to really do this without being blunt about it, Stiles tried again.

“What makes Ethan different than Aiden?”

“Excuse me?”

Stiles noted Danny’s weird-out look and quickly amended his question. “I mean aside from the fact that one finds you attractive and the other doesn’t. Jesus Danny don’t look so offended!”

“What is this about exactly?” Danny asked, still giving Stiles a skeptical glance.

“Okay first of all that judgy thing you’re doing with your eyes, drop it. I thought you had better manners. And second of all, this is about me trying to tell the twins apart and not being able to. And third, _yes Danny_ , that _is_ enough of a reason and I appreciate if you didn’t question me on that. It’s just important to me, alright?”

“Right,” Danny answered, not sure if he got all that but willing enough to appease Stiles before he went in another rambling tirade. “But if I can ask,” and he looked genuinely hesitant here, “this isn’t about trying to help Isaac single out which twin to beat on is it? Because I’m not okay with that”

“What?” Stiles asked, baffled. “Of course not! I mean, why would you even think that? Nope, that’s got nothing to do with it. Scout’s honor,” he said raising his left and then switching it up for his right hand to correct his mistake. “See, now you have to believe me” he said with a hopeful smile.

Danny shifted his gaze to the ceiling, mumbling about how he probably was going to regret this, and agreed. But not without staring at Stiles dead in the eyes and making him promise that he wasn’t going to turn this into something weird.

\--__

The twins were standing near the water station when Stiles spotted them the next day. And just so luckily Danny happened to be walking by Stiles that moment so Stiles wasted no time pulling him by the sleeves to hide behind an open classroom door in the hall where they could spy on the twins without them seeing them.

“What are you doing?” questioned Danny even though he stayed hidden behind Stiles.

“Sssssh,” shushed Stiles before signaling Danny to look over his shoulder and pointing at the twins.

Danny spotted them and sighed. “You know they can’t hear us from way over there, right?”

Stiles wanted to laugh and tell Danny how doubtful that statement was but it was also then that Stiles realized that hiding wouldn’t make much difference if the twins could hear them either way. But then again Danny might be a more willing participant if he doesn’t found out about it.

“Details, details,” Stiles brushed off before immediately changing his approach. “Wait, as a matter of fact, details! Quick Danny, tell me how you can tell them apart.”

Danny shook his head but played along. “Alright, why don’t we start with you telling me what you know about the twins already?”

“Well I know that Ethan is shorter,” Stiles began, and just as he said it the twins slouched against the wall so that Stiles couldn’t tell their real height. ‘ _Assholes_ ’ Stiles thought. They were _so_ listening in to this conversation.

“I guess that’s true,” said Danny. “But what you really need is a way to tell them apart without having them standing next to each other.”

“Thank you!” exclaimed Stiles. “See Danny, _this_ is precisely why everyone likes you. Because you get it without someone having to explain it to you. That, and because you’re nice and hot and _I should really stop talking right now_.”

“Um, welcome,” Danny replied, his ears flushing a tad red at the compliment yet continued on as if this hadn’t come to an awkward turn. And for that Stiles was grateful. “Since we’re on the subject of Ethan, I have noticed that his right eyebrow starts downward and Aiden’s doesn’t.”

“Huh, really?” Stiles asked, and he noticed that the twins were now inspecting each other’s faces. Hmm, so even they were getting a few surprises out of this. Who would’ve guessed? “Interesting as that is Danny-boy, I can’t really judge that at a distance.”

Danny gave an agreeing hmm and mumbled. “Jeans also fit Ethan better.”

And stop. Did Danny just… “Dude!” Stiles bellowed turning to Danny. “Eww, you do realize you just gave me permission to ogle your boyfriend below the belt right?”

“Shut up,” Danny muttered, looking away in embarrassment. And when Stiles shifted his gaze back to the twins he saw one of the twins shifting his pose a lot, apparently becoming self-conscious and Stiles was willing to bet that he was Ethan. _We got a shy one_. The other one, presumably Aiden, seemed to be teasing Ethan about it. 

That’s when the idea to mess with them a little presented itself to Stiles.  
“Hey Danny, have you ever had twins fantasies?” Stiles asked, noticing how Aiden made a face and Ethan straighten his pose, seemingly listening more attentively now. Stiles could work with this. “Aiden _is_ the taller one of the two you know. Do you wish Ethan was taller?”

“Stiles, you promised you wouldn’t make this weird,” Danny muttered insistently behind Stiles.

“Dude it’s a perfectly sound question. Scientific even!” Stiles defended, enjoying seeing Ethan squirm.

“Look Stiles,” Danny said, having had enough. “If it helps, Ethan wears a lot more sippers and buttons on his clothes while Aiden dresses more plainer. Other than that, you’re on your own.”

And okay, maybe Stiles deserved that. He did push the subject when he’d been given a warning not to. But it doesn’t make Danny leaving and probably thinking he’s a weirdo sting any less.

\--__

The next day the twins came dressed exactly the same so Danny wasn’t terribly surprised when he found Stiles waiting by his locker again.

“We gotta stop meeting like this,” said Stiles as his way of greeting. Danny rolled his eyes because the joke was lame and frankly he heard better. Yet Danny couldn’t hide the slight hint of a smile in his lips. 

“Funny,” said Danny while entering the combination of his locker. “Your humor is starting to become an acquired taste and I’m not sure that’s a good thing.”

“Hey!” Stiles shot back in mock-hurt. “I’ll have you know that it takes a pristine palate to savor my unique brand of humor.”

Danny only gave Stiles a side-glance before shaking his head and deciding to skip the small talk and get straight to the point of this conversation.

“You know there isn’t really much else I can help you with, right?” questioned Danny to make sure that they were on the same page on this.

“Kinda figured,” admitted Stiles dropping his shoulders in defeat. “But you know,” he said, bringing one hand up to scratch the side of his face and giving Danny a combination of a scrunched up expression with a tentative but hopeful smile. “Maybe I wasn’t wrong in thinking it wouldn’t be a far stretch to ask for a little extra help? Maybe?”

“A ‘please’ wouldn’t hurt,” commented Danny only to be immediately bombarded with an onslaught of _please, please, Danny please_. “Alright, alright! I get it, I’ll help!” he said, closing his locker door and turning to Stiles. But once he did he didn’t know how to start, or what to say really.

“I don’t know,” said Danny after ten seconds of contemplation. “Their eyes.”

“Their eyes?” Stiles blinked, unable to stop himself from commenting. “Please Danny don’t tell me you’re gonna recite poetry about them. No Danny, no. You are not a stereotype!”

Danny blushed at that. “I wasn’t gonna,” he mumbled abashed, but the dimpled smile came anyways. “And thanks by the way. I like considering myself above stereotypes so it’s always nice when some else affirms it.”

“Well sometimes it’d be nice to be extended the same courtesy.” And although Stiles didn’t mean it as a jab at Danny—that was not his intention at all, really, it was only meant as a passing comment about the general public as a whole—Danny did managed to look guilty about it. Maybe that’s why he decided to indulge Stiles a while longer.

“You know, there’s something else I noticed” and at Stiles attention Danny continued. “Ethan’s voice is a lower pitch than Aiden’s.”

What Danny did not notice was the twins crossing the hall behind him and stopping when they saw him together with Stiles. Stiles spotted them over Danny’s shoulder but made no acknowledgement of it in case it dissuaded Danny from revealing more information.

“So what does that mean?” asked Stiles instead. “Has Aiden not reached puberty yet? Like has his balls not dropped or something? Is that something you talk about with Ethan?” 

And now one of the twins was grinning while the other one looked pissed as hell, red eyes and everything. If Stiles’ assessment was right, the one who started charging towards them like a mad bull was Aiden, and the one who was holding the other twin back was Ethan. The hall was crowded after all. Too risky to wolf out. Or at least Stiles hoped it was.

Danny smirked. “All I’m saying is that Aiden being taller doesn’t mean much of anything. At least not where it matters.”

And Stiles had to do an about-face there, completely forgetting that the twins were literally meters away from them. “Dude, eww, oversharing! I did not need that image in my head!”

“Well you asked!” defended Danny, a blush on both their faces now.

“Na-ah,” countered Stiles. “There’s sharing information, and then there’s messing with the virgin. And you were definitely messing with the virgin!”

“Sssh, not so loud” quieted Danny. “Now who’s the one oversharing?”

Sitles hmped while crossing his arms over his chest. Remembering the twins he looked over Danny’s shoulder and saw only one twin standing there. Something told him it was Ethan so that meant Aiden must have gone to cool off somewhere.

“So Ethan huh,” muttered Stiles to Danny, closely watching Ethan’s reaction with the corner of his eyes. “You really like this guy don’t ya?”

“Well not that it’s any of your business but yeah, yeah I do. He’s the first guy I liked like this in a very long time.”

“Hmm” Stiles nodded and then patted Danny’s shoulder farewell. “Well that will do!” he cheered, “Till next time!” and he turned around trying to distance himself from the situation as quickly as possible.

He was not trying to come up with a million different excuses as to why Ethan looked so lost and vulnerable standing there alone listening to what Danny thought of him. Ethan was an evil alpha werewolf. A killer. He was not someone you felt sympathy for.

No, Stiles will definitely not overanalyze these things.

Oh whom was he kidding? This only reinforced the fact that Stiles needed to be able to tell them apart pronto. Who knew how long he would have to get it right.

\--__

Danny only made it to lunchtime that day before he found himself accosted by Stiles yet again right as Danny finished paying for his cafeteria food. Unlike last time, Danny hadn’t expected it. Even so he can’t say he was surprised by it. He somewhat wondered if it should worry him that he was growing accustomed to Stiles random yet constant interventions.

“Okay Danny, get ready for the motherfucker of all tests,” Stiles declared as he dragged Danny toward the east wall of the lunchroom. From this angle they could see the whole cafeteria and Stiles pointed at a table on the far left of the room. The twins were seated there in identical leather jackets but you could only see their backs.

“Now Danny,” started Stiles. “From this angle there’s no way to tell them apart. They both look the same height; you can’t see their faces nor hear their voices. Your job is to tell them apart without getting any closer. Can you do that?” he asked, genuinely wanting to know.

Danny rolled his eyes but went along with it. It only took him one glance to figure it out. He grinned. “Ethan is siting on the right and Aiden in siting on the left.”

“Wait, how do you know that?” questioned Stiles, moving his hand in the general sense of what-the-fuck-ness. “That was like final exam type of question! There’s no way you could tell, like how Danny, how?”

Danny chuckled and turned to Stiles. “Alright, but first you got to tell me why are you so interested. Like the real reason Stiles. Not some made up excuse.”

And okay, Danny was looking at Stiles seriously now. Fuck. There was a lot of aborted jaw and hand movement from Stiles as he tried to get a word out, but Danny proved to be a patient guy when it came to interrogating someone. Didn’t even seem bothered that his food was getting cold. Who knew?

Finally Stiles was able to get a sentence out. “Because I’m looking out for a friend?” Too bad it didn’t sound too convincing.

“Stiles,” was all Danny said with an annoyed twinge laced to it.

“Fine!” Stiles shot back. “But first you gotta answer one for me or no compromise.” Danny looked frustrated at that but nodded and Stiles took it as his cue to continue. “Do you have any guy friends? At school I mean. Do you?”

And that definitely caught Danny off guard. “What do you mean? I don’t—I don’t get it,” he asked confused.

“What I’m saying is that since Jackson left I noticed you don’t exactly have a group. Yeah I noticed that you move from click to click always sitting with a bunch of people and by anyone’s guess it looks like you have all these friends and get by okay, but then you’re always sitting alone in the library—at least since Aiden came back attached to Ethan’s back like a leech. And not to mention the fact that-”

“Stiles, you’re rambling,” interrupted Danny making Stiles automatically fall silent whit a quick sorry. Danny also couldn’t help noticing that Stiles was refusing to make eye contact now. Can’t say he blame him though. That speech _was_ a little _too_ revealing of how Stiles spent his free time. Not to say invasive. Danny just never thought that Stiles paid that much attention.

A few more seconds of awkward silence passed before Danny exhaled loudly. He just didn’t do well under awkward situations so he always tried to rectify them. This time was no different.

“So basically you’re looking out for a friend then,” said Danny to break the silence. “Because Jackson is not here to do so. Am I getting it right?”

“Maybe?”

Danny just shook his head good-humoredly. “Stiles I don’t need you to give me a hard time about my boyfriend just because you think someone should be doing it,” he explained.

“Hey, everybody could use a close friend every once in a while! Especially when it comes to relationship drama.” 

“Don’t you already have Scott to deal with?” Danny asked, half joking and half for curiosity. “Don’t this break some sort of bro code or something?”

“Psh, are we attached by the hip or something? It’s not like we made friendship bracelets. Besides, there isn’t a rule that says we’re only allowed one good friend in life.”

“You don’t have to be everybody’s friend, you know”

“Yeah tell that to Boyd…”

And cue awkward silence again. Boyd could’ve definitely used a friend, especially after losing his only friend. And Stiles will forever feel guilty about it. But that wasn’t something he wanted to discuss right now.

Danny didn’t really understand why, but he could tell Stiles was beating himself up about his late classmate. Danny also couldn’t figure out in what way that was relevant to his scenario but decided not to questioned it. He wasn’t proud about it but it sometimes paid to stay willfully ignorant. That’s what helped him get over Jackson’s little resurrection episode anyways. But this wasn’t about Jackson.

“Ethan and Aiden hold their folks with different hands,” Danny explained abruptly.

“Wait, what? Weren’t we—what does that have-”

“You asked me how I could tell them apart. Well Ethan is right-handed and Aiden is left-handed. Hence they favor different hands when they eat.”

“Huh, how come I never noticed that?”

Danny shrugged. “Guess you never had the right incentive”

“Like?”

“…”

“You’re picturing him naked right now aren’t you?”

\--_

The next following days Stiles paid way closer attention to the twins than he’d ever had. So much attention that even Allison noticed that Stiles was more distracted than usual. And that’s saying something considering they took almost no classes together. Or that they barely talked to each other outside of Scott. Someday, when their lives weren’t always in jeopardy, Stiles would have to rectify that. But today was not the day.

With all the information he’d been given, Stiles was able to tell which twin was which within a minute at least 70% of the time. He wished the percentage was higher but at least those were numbers he could work it.

But for all of Stiles troubles it all seemed for naught as Isaac got into a fight with Aiden ending up with both of them suspended from school. Whoop Dee Doo. 

Stiles waited early by the bike’s stand the very next morning and got in Ethan’s way once he arrived alone. 

“Your pack is going down soon. I hope you know that,” Stiles stated matter-of-factly as a way of greeting.

“Is that a threat meatbag?” Ethan replied, flashing his canines menacingly.

Stiles shook his head. “Nope, just a warning. A head’s up if you will.”

“Why?” Ethan bit out to which Stiles shrugged.

“No reason, just letting you know that if you choose it you won’t have to go down with them.”

And now confusion showed on Ethan’s face. “Why?”

Stiles shrugged again. “Maybe I’d like to believe that for once Danny picked someone who wasn’t an complete asshole,” he replied plainly.

Ethan had been even more confused by that but then his face displayed complete annoyance with the human. “Thanks for the offer but no thanks.” Ethan growled, taking a menacing step forward. “I’m _not_ going back to being an omega. Never again.”

“Don’t have too,” replied Stiles, completely unbothered by Ethan’s show of aggression. When Ethan took a step backward, question clearly on his face, Stiles answered. “If I know Scott as good as I think I know him—and I do—then I can probably guarantee that Scott won’t be completely opposed to the idea of you joining his pack.”

Ethan’s eyes appeared unfocused in thought for all five seconds before he stared at Stiles again. “I… Why are you offering this to me? I, I don’t get it?”

“You don’t have too. Just know that Danny is an unofficial part of our group now and we’re not willing to share him with just anybody.”

What Stiles didn’t say was that after all the time he spent studying the twins he noticed that it was all really in the eyes, just like Danny had said. Everything about the twins’ high school career is an act. And their eyes revealed them as nothing but cold-hearted predators with a distinct ulterior motive.

But whenever Ethan spotted Danny, his eyes regained a magical sparkle that was all too real to be faked. For in that very moment Ethan looked like the typical high school teenager who was both eager and insecure about how their day was going to pan out.

And they didn’t even have to be with each other. Danny could just be passing by the hall or seating at the opposite side of the room and Ethan’s eyes still turned warmer almost instinctively. His eyes smiled without any predatory gleam in them. But that was nothing compared to when the couple were together. Because it was only then that Ethan exuded something Stiles never thought he see in an enemy. 

Redeemability.

That’s what separated him from his twin. Everything in Aiden screamed unsalvageable. Ethan reminded Stiles that there were no absolutes. No one was always good or always evil. What mattered was that you’re willing to give yourself the chance to change. If Aiden was capable of it he sure didn’t want it. At least not now. Not like Ethan.

“But…” Ethan started, his expression troubled. But then he reeled it back into an emotionless stony face and squared his shoulders. “My loyalties are with my pack and my pack alone.” He followed his statement by roughly bumping shoulders with Stiles as he made his way to the school; but after only four steps he stopped.

Without turning to face Stiles, Ethan called for his attention. “You’re not planning on striking the same bargain with Aiden are you?” he asked and then laughed joylessly at his own question. “No of course not, you wouldn’t have been trying so hard to tell us apart if you were.” And after moment of silence where no one made a move to walk away, Ethan asked: “Hypothetically speaking, let’s say I do decide to heed your warning. What, what happens to Aiden?”

Indecision, that’s road well traveled by Stiles. From experience he knew that it was filled with speed bumps and valueless promises. And lies would help no one in this case.

“Don’t know,” replied Stiles honestly, seeing no use in making false assurances when Aiden's current chances of being accepted into Scott's pack were zero to nonexistent. “That’s all really up to him.”

“Right,” Ethan muttered, clenching and unclenching his hands but still not moving away from his spot. Stiles—tired of waiting around for something more conclusive—decided to just go ahead and give it the good old Stilinski push.

“Tell you what, picture this with me,” said Stiles standing next to Ethan and putting an arm around the werewolf’s shoulders. An arm Ethan glared at because he was an all mighty alpha and Stiles should act more scared of him. Stiles however paid it no mind as he waved his free hand in front of them as if to paint the picture for them. 

“Imagine,” Stiles started, licking his lips as he made his pitch. “A place where all of this is over and you have permanently join the light side,” because that’s how Stiles was selling it; “A time when we go out on the lawn at a fun barbecue eating hamburgers while you reward me for my help by letting me know if I’m attractive to gay guys-”

“I’m taken,” Ethan interjected.

“Not the point.”

“I’m not going to be your first gay experience” Ethan clarified.

“Again that’s not the point and also, get over yourself. You’d be so far from my first choice if that ever was a thing,” Stiles snapped making Ethan narrow his eyes at him.

“…Danny’s taken,” he said and before Stiles could get another word in, Ethan cemented his point. “I’m _not_ going to leave him,” he snarled, shrugging Stiles’ arm off and glaring. “This conversation is over and you best stay away from me from now on if you know what’s good for you,” he warned before marching to the school and leaving Stiles behind.

Stiles, however, could only smirk at that, for he knew he wouldn’t be the one making the next approach. 

Ethan, by getting possessive over Danny, showed his true colors. For all his bravado and claimed loyalties, the werewolf had unknowingly already made his decision. He just wasn’t clued in on it yet. Because by choosing to stay with Danny, Ethan had already made the first tear between him and his pack. And it was only a matter of time before that tear became what completely split them apart.

And when that happens, Scott’s pack would be waiting. And then Jackson would owe Stiles one for keeping Danny out of harm’s way. And maybe then Jackson wouldn’t rip Stiles a new one for readjusting his 15-year plan to get Lydia into a 5-year plan.

Hey, a guy could never have too much insurances.

The fact that Danny met Ethan at the front of the school and that the werewolf immediately wrapped himself in the goalie’s arms only made Stiles want to rid them of the rest of the alpha pack sooner.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, I apologize.


End file.
